Fence-building machine



(No Model.)

P. O. MILLER.

FENCE BUILDING MACHINE.

N0. 433,299. Patented July 29,1890.

fizz/enter:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP O. MILLER, OF CLAYTON, OHIO.

FENCE-BUILDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,299, dated July 29,1890.

Application filed April 24:, 1890. Serial No. 349,303. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILIP G. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clayton township,(Somerset P. in the county of Perry andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFence- Building Machines, of which the following is aspecification,reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved machineas it appears in use; Fig. 9, a detail view of a portion of the twistingmechanism; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the wire-spacing gage; Fig. 4,a detail view of the device for keeping the Wires tight; and Figs. 5,(3, 7, 8, and 9 detail views which will be fully hereinafter explained.

The object of theinvention, generally, is to provide an extremely simpleapparatus for simultaneously twisting and braiding the fence-wiresaround the pickets and keeping the wires tight While being twisted,braided, or interwoven, as will be fully hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawings I have illustrated a portion of awire-and-picket fence in the course of construction, with my inventionapplied thereto as it appears in use.

The horizontal fence-wires are held tight by means of weights g, adjustably attached to the wires by means of links or bars g, provided withcanplevers g, as shown clearly in Fig. 4.. The free ends of the wiresare passed under pins f' on an uprightf, secured to the arms f f of aframe f, and from thence are carried up over pins or hooks j 011 theupper bar or arm f" of said frame. The said weights g are attached tothe free portionsof the wires below the pins j, and thereby serve tokeep the wires under tension during the twisting, braiding, or weavingoperations. The cam-levers g" are pivoted upon ears formed on the barsas shown in Fig. 4:, so that they clamp the wires betweentheir curvedserrated edges and the said bars g. Byraising the cam-levers the wireswill be released and the weights may be removed entirely or adjustedalong the wires,as is evident. The frame f is preferably placed againstone of the fence-posts, as shown in Fig. l, the post serving as anabutment for the frame. The

wires are properly spaced and kept a uniform distance apart by means ofthe gage-bar 70, which is provided with hooks ft on its rear side, whichset over the wires and support the gage during the twistin g operations.The u p per hooks It on the gage-bar may be made adj ustablelongitudinally, if desired, as shown in Fig. 3, in order that the gagemay be used on fences where the spaces between the wires vary. The gageor spacer is hung on the Wires between the last-secured picket and theone about to be twisted in place, and as fast as the pickets are securedthe gage is moved from place to place.

The twisting mechanism consists of a pair of separated upright bars ava, provided with horizontal arms I) Z) I). These arms have their innerends passed between the bars a, and are provided with flanged caps orplates (1, (see Figs 5, 0, and 7,) which clamp and embrace the oppositeedges of the uprights and are securely held in place by suitable nuts.By means of these plates and nuts it is evident that the arms arereadily adjustable up and down upon the uprights to accommodate or suitdifferent fences. One arm is provided for each wire rail, and each railis composed of at least two strands of wire, as shown, and any number ofarms may be employed accordin g to the number of wire rails in thefence. The middle arm is provided with an extension Z), which serves asa handle by which the apparatus may be operated. The forward ends of thearms are each provided with a vertical plate 0, provided wit-h a curvedslot 0'. Pivoted in the slots c are horizontal arms (Z, which are turnedback under the arms I), and are provided at their ends with notches dfor the reception of the strands of the fencewires, the forward ends ofthese arms being provided with ears (1, which embrace the slotted plate0.

The operation of the twisting mechanism is as follows: The strands ofthe rails being inserted in the slots or notches d of the oscillatingarms, and a picket being placed between the separated wires up againstthe gage-bar, the operator, by means of the handle b, raises theapparatus until the swinging bars (I assume the position shown in dottedlines in Fig. 8, when he lowers it, whereupon these bars will swing overon top of the arms I), as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the slots cpermitting these movements. As these bars swing around from beneath thearms I) performing another twisting operation, but

in the reverse direction to the first one, as is evident, and so onuntil the entire fence is picketed. Of course the parts of the apparatus are moved along the line of the fence as fast as it is completed.Vhen the swinging arms (I are on top of the arms b, they preferably restupon shoulders 0", formed on the outer ends of the latter, as shown inFigs. 2

and 8.

In case it is desired to support or hold up the twisting devicestemporarily while the operator is adjusting some of the other parts ofthe apparatus, this may be done by means of a depending latch e, pivotedbetween the slotted extensions (1" of the central clamping plate a (seeFig. 5) and working between the uprights a a, this latch being providedwith anoperating-handle 6 Within easy reach of the operator, as shown inFig. 2. To hold the latch 6 back in the space between the bars a 0;, sothat it will not engage the bar I), I provide the handle 6 with a hole6", (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) through which a pin or nail. maybe passed and allowed to rest against the edges of the bars a a andthereby hold up the handle.

In case it is desired merely to braid or cross the strands of thefence-wires, this may be done by inserting the flanged block it (shownin Fig. 9) in the upper part of theslot c of the middle arm, as showninFig. 8.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A gage andspacing bar it, provided on its rear side with hooks 70, adapted to setover the fence-Wires, one or more of the upper hooks being madeadjustable.

2. The combination of a pair of separated uprights, horizontal armscarried by the said uprights and provided with slots in their outerends, swinging notched bars pivoted in the slots in the forward ends ofthe said arms, and a latch e, pivoted between the said uprights aboveone of the said arms, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of an upright carrying horizontal arms, these armsbeing slotted at their outer ends, swinging notched bars pivoted in saidslots, and a removable block h, adapted to be inserted in the upper partof one of said slots, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with an upright, of two or more arms adjustablysecured to said upright and provided with vertical slots in their ends,and notched swinging bars (I, pivoted in said slots, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILIP C. MILLER.

\Vitnesses:

W. H. II. MINTREY, PHILIP ALLEN.

